During the Maryland legislative session which ended in April 2022, the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate overrode Governor Hogan's veto of The Abortion Care Access Act (2022 Regular Session - House Bill 937 Third Reader (maryland.gov)). Hence, this Act is scheduled to become Law effective July 1, 2022.However, the Maryland Constitution provides an avenue for the citizens of Maryland to reject an Act, or portions of an Act, before it takes effect as a Law.
This is accomplished through a Referendum. An organization entitled "Campaign to Protect Women" was recently formed by certain pro-life individuals in Maryland for the purpose of obtaining the required number of Maryland registered voters'" signatures on a petition to bring a portion of The Abortion Care Access Act to Referendum before it becomes Law. If the required number of signatures is obtained, this matter will be brought to Referendum, meaning that it will be put to a vote of all Maryland registered voters in the general election in November 2022. The Act will not become Law pending the results of the Referendum vote in the general election in November 2022.
The required number of petition signatures is:
By 31 May 2022: 25,000 signatures (approximately)
By 30 June 2022: another 50,000 signatures (approximately)
Grand Total: 75,000 signatures (approximately)
The portion of The Abortion Care Access Act that is being petitioned to bring to Referendum consists of the provisions that (i) allow non-physicians to perform surgical abortions in Maryland throughout all 9 months of pregnancy and (ii) require health insurance companies to pay the entire cost of their policyholders' abortions in Maryland in most cases. After Masses on May 14/15 and May 21/22, our parish Pro-Life Committee will be gathering Maryland registered voters' signatures on the petition to bring this portion of The Abortion Care Access Act to Referendum.